This comprehensive article covers some key facts and figures on where the Veterans Affairs department stands today, based on current statistics and assessments of operations since VA Secretary Bob McDonald took office in August 2014.

The National Gulf War Resource Center, an advocacy group for Gulf War Veterans, spoke to VA Secretary Bob McDonald about health care, research and benefits for Gulf War Veterans. The following is Part One of the discussion, focusing on health care and research: http://bit.ly/2jpGmMP

Part Two focuses on benefits and VA’s accomplishments for Gulf War Veterans: http://bit.ly/2jdxuwB

Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Bob McDonald – and a broad swath of the veterans’ community – is counting on MyVA to culturally transform the department. The comprehensive initiative is designed to change the way the agency does business. “We’re trying to put the veteran at the center of everything we do,” McDonald says. With MyVA, the organization hopes to set a course of long-term excellence and reform and rebuild trust with veterans and their families and the American people.

Veterans Affairs (VA) officials are urging Capitol Hill leaders to pass their department’s fiscal 2017 budget, reform the veteran benefit appeals process and tackle a host of other top legislative priorities affecting vets before time runs out on the current Congressional session at the end of the year.

VA Secretary McDonald looks back on two years of successes and future opportunities to improve services for veterans. As he states: “We and our Veteran Service Organization partners know that the best place for Veterans to receive care is at VA, and we are working to make that care as accessible as ever through same day access, telemedicine, increased clinical space, and on and on as part of our MyVA Transformation.”

VA’s Veterans Choice Program has reached a key milestone in improving access to health care for Veterans. More than two million appointments have been scheduled through the program. “While two million appointments have been scheduled using the Choice Program and we are making progress, we will not rest until all Veterans who choose VA to be their healthcare provider are receiving the care they need, when they need it,” said VA Secretary Bob McDonald.

VA Secretary Bob McDonald and former VA Secretary Dr. James Peake have initiated a number of actions being taken by the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve conditions for our nation’s veterans. They have urged Congress to pass legislation in several key areas, including integrating community care into the VA’s healthcare system and fixing the broken process by which veterans appeal unfavorable claims decisions.

The Veterans Affairs Health System transformation effort is called MyVA. Per VA Secretary McDonald, the current situation provides the greatest opportunity for change in the history of the department, and MyVA is the key to making significant improvements.

Read about the five key MyVA strategies and the twelve break-through VA priorities for the near term: http://1.usa.gov/1Tbflqy

VA Secretary Bob McDonald recently discussed some of the challenges the VA has faced within the past few years, what has already been done during his time in office and his plan for the future of the VA. He sees a great opportunity to deliver better outcomes for veterans and their families, and addresses some of the latest updates on the ongoing transition.